On Monday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a high level meeting to review the functioning of Tourism Department insisting that the sector is “backbone” of J&K’s economy and underscored the need to treat tourism as a structured, long-term endeavour, rather than an ad-hoc activity. He stressed to build environmentally conscious infrastructure that respects J&K’s unique heritage and architecture and urged regulated infrastructure growth in newly proposed destinations and developing tourist spots to ensure sustainable development. He stressed the need for synergized efforts with the local community, advocating for all tourism projects to consider heritage preservation and environmental sustainability.
From past sometime Kashmir has started receiving record number of tourists. The Union Territory administration too has been working tirelessly to attract more and more tourists. The increased footfall has resulted into the economic growth of the population affiliated with tourism sector. It goes without saying that tourism is one of the major economic activities in Kashmir, however, this activity should not hamper with the environment and ecology.
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Developing tourism infrastructure in Kashmir while safeguarding the environment and ecology requires a balanced and sustainable approach. The region’s natural beauty and ecological diversity are key attractions for tourists, so it’s essential to protect and preserve these assets. The administration before embarking on any major tourism infrastructure project, should conduct a thorough Comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) to assess the potential environmental impacts. These assessments should identify risks and propose mitigation measures. It should also develop a comprehensive tourism master plan that outlines the region’s carrying capacity and sets limits on visitor numbers and infrastructure development. It is prime duty of the administration to identify and protect critical habitats, biodiversity hotspots, and ecologically sensitive areas from development, implement buffer zones around protected areas to minimize the impact of tourism activities. It should take all tourism stake holders on board and encourage the use of eco-friendly building materials and sustainable construction practices and guide these stake holders to design tourism infrastructures such as hotels and resorts to blend harmoniously with the natural surroundings.
In almost at all tourist destinations of Kashmir, waste management and pollution control are the two major issues. The administration should implement effective waste management systems that reduce, recycle, and properly dispose of waste generated by tourists and businesses and enforce strict pollution control measures to prevent water and air pollution. The massive rush of vehicles is adding to the pollution levels at these destinations and to tackle the issue the administration should invest in public transportation options, like electric buses to reduce the number of private vehicles on the roads. Of late, the administration has taken some good decisions to encourage cycling in Srinagar. This should be encouraged at all tourist destination and steps should be taken to create pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.
The administration should also engage local communities in the tourism planning and development process to ensure that their needs and concerns are addressed and should promote community-based tourism initiatives that empower local residents and distribute economic benefits. Sustainable tourism development in Kashmir should prioritize the long-term health of the environment and the well-being of local communities.
